SS United States rally set for Friday

A rally will be held Friday in New York City as part of an effort to save the SS United States.

The 1,000-foot vessel is facing high maintenance costs, so the SS United States Conservancy is trying to raise awareness and money to give it additional time to repurpose the ship into a permanently moored museum and mixed-use development, potentially on the West Side of Manhattan.

The SS United States is the only object in the country named “United States” and is an icon of the 20th century as the fastest passenger liner ever built, the conservancy said in a statement.

The conservancy, which has garnered national and international attention in its fight to save the ship, will be holding a rally in Herald Square (34th Street and 6th Avenue) in Midtown Manhattan from 6 to 9 a.m. on Friday to raise awareness, resources and challenge elected officials to save the United States.